PAW PAW, Mich. — A local high school senior achieved a first in his school's history. It's sending him right to the top of the class. And not just at the top of the Paw Paw High School Class of 2022; the score put him at the top of the senior class nationally.
Michael Reo likes school, but he loves learning even more. He's one of those lucky students for whom taking tests has always come naturally.
"If anybody was going to do it, it was going to be Michael," said Southworth.
"I opened it up, check my scores. And at first, I thought like, I was reading it wrong," said Michael Reo, senior at Paw Paw High School.
That score he just couldn't believe; it was a perfect 1600.
"But I think this, like when I study for tests, I ended up doing worse on them," said Reo.
He has no test-taking superstitions, but he was motivated by something. A sibling rivalry between his big brother, Anthony, who scored a 1560.
"Now he's going with the argument that he stayed at a 1560 because he wanted to motivate me," said Reo.
The perfect score is a first at Paw Paw High School. It's a big achievement after a few uncertain years at school. The 1600 is of course going to unlock some educational doors, but just as remarkable for Michael, a fun senior year back with his friends.
"You know, I think the kids respect Michael and they see the hard work that he puts in, but they also respect him because he's a nice kid. He's kind," said Tammy Southworth, principal at Paw Paw High School.
"My 10th grade getting cut off. And then 11th graders jumping between like, like, what we're doing, because of COVID cases, jumping up and down, has been, yeah, it's been kind of difficult," said Reo.
Michael says he would like to attend Princeton or USC and he plans to study journalism.
